The Ballerina
by Belles7
Summary: All it took was one bet, one bet to bring them closer. One bet to bring her perfect world crashing, falling upside down. Is this really paradise? Was this what she was missing out on? (NON-SHINOBI WORLD)
1. Chapter 1

**The Ballerina**

*******Chapter 1: The Dance Off **

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**NORMAL POV**

**Bold- Texts (as in phone terminology)**

_Lyrics- Italics_

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"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."

- Bob Marley

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The music was booming loudly, radiating its addictive beats throughout the large room. Bodies were pressed up against each other as the audience peeked over one another's' shoulders with eagerness. Everyone wanted to see what was going to happen.

The disk jockey, Anko, smirked at the packed room. It was always full every Friday. Shaking her head to the beat of the song, she flipped on the switch to her mike and prepped, "Are you all ready to have some fun?!"

The crowd of attentive people shouted, "Yeah!" There were whistles and loud claps.

Anko assessed the genders. It was pretty equal tonight, male and female all over the place. Smirking again, Anko inquired, "So what are you all waiting for, kids?"

She had a way with calling people-even those older than her- 'kids' and still managed to survive unharmed. Let's be honest, she was one hell of a DJ. The crowd loved her and her remarks.

A group of females cheered aggressively, "Akatsuki, Akatsuki, Akatsuki!"

Another group of girls shot back in unison, "No way! Rookie Five, they're way better than Akatsuki!" The two large groups of girls glared at each other, shooting lightning through hard stares.

Anko glanced across the large room, setting her stare on the large wooden doors. That was where the performers or should she say, the dancers, were waiting. Every Friday in this large and usually packed room, there would always be a dance off. Of course, it was in the evening though.

Glancing at her wrist watch, Anko exclaimed, "Five more minutes before the show starts, kids! Let me go over the rules again. One, no beverages on the dance floor! If I catch you, security will come and toss your dumb ass out the building, got it?"

Everyone turned to look at the security guard, Kakashi. Oblivious to their stares, he just flipped a page before actually looking at them with his masked face. He simply waved, returning back to his orange book.

Anko cursed him under her breath. He was supposed to look intimidating, not that he wasn't. It's just that first impressions tended to make a major impact but it didn't matter. Most of the people who attended these dance offs were the usual, loyal audience. So they should know how Kakashi handled misbehavior.

Anko glanced at her watch and continued, "Two, no fighting! If you want to fight, I suggest you get your immature crew out of this building and take it onto the streets where you'll probably be caught by the cops because you're so stupid and full of yourselves."

The crowd nodded, silent and fearful of the female DJ. Smiling triumphantly, Anko continued, "Finally, the last rule, kids! Don't break any of the first two rules and do enjoy your time here. Now let's get started!"

The horde of people shouted in delight, throwing their arms out into the air.

Shifting her dark eyes onto the royal-like wooden doors, Anko introduced, "Give it up for the Kings of Dance, Akatsuki!"

The group of pro-Akatsuki females screamed with delight and support. Of course, there were some booing but it was pretty inaudible. After all, they weren't titled _kings_ for no good reason.

The smooth-textured, wooden doors slammed open as the Akatsuki glided into the center of the circle. Hidan smirked, kissing his hands before forming two peace signs. Kisame nodded his head to the addicting beat. Deidara waved seductively to some of the female fans. Itachi and Sasori remained calm and stoic, shining with their attractive charisma.

Anko snorted at their confident aura and introduced, "Alright, kids, don't get all tired now because here comes the next generation's kings, Rookie Five!"

A group of girls pulled out their boards that were written with the younger group's name before they shouted, "Ah, our princes! We can't wait for you to be the kings!"

Smirking, Sasuke led his group of friends down the isolated aisle as they head towards the Akatsuki. Naruto was walking casually with his hands locked behind his neck. With his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, Shikamaru was muttering about something being troublesome. Kiba assessed the crowd, growing eager by the minute. Neji was walking next to Sasuke as the two glowed with their charisma too.

"Alright, kids, be quiet now! Let me introduce the next group, Seductive!" Anko proclaimed. Now, the males were standing even straighter, eager to get a good look at the notorious female group.

Raking a hand through her red hair, Karin smirked haughtily before she swayed her hips down the aisle with her crew trailing after her with the same attitude. Ami licked her lips seductively as she winked at one of the guys in the crowd. Kana ran a finger down her neck, bent down in her short skirt and stopped before her dark shorts were revealed, teasing the male crowd. Arisa stretched her long arms in front of her, squeezing her revealing bosoms while she slowly rolled her neck in silent but obvious pleasure.

Anko sighed under her breath and stated, "Alrighty, kids, time for the next and last group! Give it up for Kunoichi!"

Appearing at the threshold of the wooden doors, Ino gave the crowd a nice big greeting, "Let's all have a blast together Konoha!" Her baby blue eyes were full of excitement.

The crowd shouted, agreeing all together.

With Ino in the middle, Hinata took her place to Ino's left whereas TenTen took her place on Ino's right. Temari smirked as she walked next to TenTen's right side. The group of friends strutted, side by side, to the center of the circle.

"Okay, let the game begin!" Anko rallied, switching the music abruptly. Feeling the fast tempo vibrate throughout their bodies, the groups and the audience swayed to the rhythm.

Hidan jumped into the center before he began to twirl his legs quickly and soon performed a series of break dance moves, starting with the windmill. Spinning on his head now, Hidan smirked at Sasuke who had his arms crossed against his toned chest.

Sasuke took a step closer to the center as Hidan finished his turn and retreated, allowing Sasuke to take over. Doing a jackhammer, Sasuke skillfully transitioned into a baby spin and finished off with a hand hop. The group of Rookie Five fans squealed at the sight of Sasuke's dark shirt shifting upwards, revealing his toned abs.

Naruto jumped in as Sasuke retreated, patting Naruto's shoulder lightly. Diving towards the waxed floor, Naruto positioned his blond head onto the ground as he then pulled a head slide maneuver. Some of the girls flushed at his neck strength, amazed by his sudden bold move.

Hinata blinked several times as Naruto's orange T-shirt drooped down, revealing a set of toned abs too. These boys managed to grow up healthy and fit all right.

Sasuke smirked in approval. He had been watching Naruto perfect this move for the last months. Naruto was crazy but he was good at these kinds of things. Sasuke remembered the time when Naruto charged at him with his head. It hurt quite a lot. Maybe Naruto's head was made out of steel?

Pushing himself off the floor, Naruto smirked at the Akatsuki and Kisame flashed his teeth before smiling sweetly. Naruto narrowed his eyes before returning back to his group. Anko switched to another song.

"Ah, time to shine, girls," Karin stated smoothly. One side of her lips was quirked up as she swayed her hips towards the center. Feeling influenced by the music, Hidan jumped back into the center dancing with Karin.

The song evoked a seductive aura and Karin pressed herself up against Hidan, with her hands sliding up his chest as she then gripped his shoulders and muttered, "We are _so_ going to win."

Hidan smirked, pressing himself closer to her as he remarked, "Not under my watch, woman." He gripped her hand, pressing it to his hard chest before saying, "You've got a long night, Karin."

Brushing his hips towards her, Hidan inquired, "Let's see how long you can hold on before you fall down onto your knees, begging for me to take you." Karin smirked, shifting her pelvis towards him as she responded, "Playing dirty, are we?"

Hidan shrugged and commented, "You know you want me and so does Jashin." Karin snorted and retorted, "Not you nor your Jashin freak. Preferably, the hottie Sasuke-kun over there though." She licked her bottom lip with desire.

Hidan shook his head in disbelief at her comment before he stiffened at the touch of another person. Pressing her breasts against Hidan's back, Arisa soothed, "Hidan-_sama_, don't you want _me?_"

"Oi, don't go clinging onto him when you can have me, yeah?" Deidara asked, saving Hidan. Arisa whirled around to look at the blond man before she smirked and answered, "Of course, Deidara-_san_. We have all night for you to lose."

Wrapping her arms seductively around Deidara's neck, Arisa smiled seductively before mumbling, "Are you going to give up?" Deidara glanced at her, unfazed as he replied, "Not 'till my group wins, yeah."

"Same here," Arisa mumbled, pressing her to him even more. Anko switched to another song causing Temari to step in and question, "Oi, are you love birds done grinding on each other?"

"Tch, you came just in time, yeah," Deidara remarked with a hint of relief as he peeled himself away from Arisa. She glared at Temari as Ino appeared along with TenTen and Hinata.

Temari smirked as Karin and Arisa wandered back to their area. The crowd continued to cheer as the Kunoichi began to pop their way through the music, feeling every wave of the music.

_We're gonna pummel you. We're soaring through the sky, baby, leaving you in the dust. _Temari pointed a finger at Seductive's direction. The crowd let out an 'Oooh' sound, seeing Temari's implied declaration of war.

_We're gonna beat you in everything, a hundred and ten percent more effort than you could ever muster._ Ino danced her way to Rookie Five as the R&B song continued to play.

_Come to me._ Ino extended an arm towards Kiba invitingly who took a step forward, following Ino. Anko smirked and switched the song, letting it blast throughout the whole room. Hinata, TenTen and Temari took a step back towards the sideline as Ino took over.

The crowd shifted to the new song, nodding their heads to the beat in a hypnotized manner.

_Baby, I want you. I need you._ Kiba stepped towards Ino, placing a hand on her hips. Ino smirked as the male singer stopped and the featured female singer began to sing.

_Boy, you're too late. You know that we're done and over with. Why are you still clinging onto me?_ Ino removed his hand, dancing away from him as she locked her enchanting blue eyes with his. Kiba watched as Ino then closed her eyes and danced to the song.

The song switched and Ino retreated. The new song was comprised of thick and heavy beats. All of the Akatsuki began to dance in the center as the lyrics were now sung.

_Yeah, you want to overthrow me. I know that well. _Kisame approached Rookie Five, smiling evilly. _But guess what? You can't._ Lifting a blue finger, Kisame smirked and shook his finger in disapproval. _I'm just too good for you. _

Kisame moved back into the center where the others were putting up a good show, revealing their brand new moves. The crowd of girls let out howls of approval.

_You want to be on my good side._ Sasori moon walked backwards to Rookie Five, letting the music control his moves. _But that means that you'd have to become my royal puppet._ Turning around to smirk at them, Sasori asked, "Do you want to be my puppet?"

Annoyed, Rookie Five closed in as the song changed. _You think you're so cool. You think you've got it all, the looks, the money, the girls but here's what you don't have._

Sasuke danced his way towards the Akatsuki who were standing, watching him. _You don't have the speed._ Sasuke popped his body to the beat, quickening his pace as the lyrics neared to the word 'speed'. Jumping in front of Sasori, Sasuke snapped his fingers. _Attend to my needs, waiter._

Sasuke crouched down onto his knees as Naruto suddenly appeared, hopping onto Sasuke's back as Shikamaru and Kiba flashed in front of Naruto. Naruto lifted his hands, shifting his fingers as Shikamaru and Kiba pretended to be like puppets.

_You want to see a real puppet master? _Naruto smirked as Kiba and Shikamaru accurately moved their body parts to the beat of the song. Several girls let out a cry of admiration. Shikamaru and Kiba stepped aside as Naruto got off of Sasuke, pulling Sasuke up before controlling Sasuke's movements.

Taking a synchronized step with Sasuke, Naruto lifted his left hand and Sasuke lifted his left arm. The two performed a harmonious dance as Neji, Shikamaru and Kiba echoed their movements in the background.

_You don't have what it takes to be like me, synchronized._ The song ended as Rookie Five ceased moving, ending on time with the song. They stood, breathing hard, as they stared at the Akatsuki. Hidan smirked.

"That's all for tonight, kids!" Anko exclaimed, happy. The crowd whined but complied, grabbing their stuff as they rushed for the exit. Life carried on. There would be a next Friday and then another one after that and then another one. Well, you get the idea.

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Anko was packing her equipments when Naruto walked out from the locker rooms, dropping onto the dance floor. Anko glanced at the young blond man before asking, "What's the matter with you, Naruto?"

"I'm hungry," Naruto explained, shutting his eyes. Anko shrugged and said, "Kakashi ordered the pizza a while ago. I don't know what's taking so long though."

Naruto groaned in hunger. Anko shook her head at his dramatic antics and continued to wrap the wires. Walking out from the female locker room, Hinata approached Naruto nervously and questioned, "Naruto-kun, are you feeling okay?"

Naruto opened his eyes to look at Hinata before he replied, "Ah, yeah, I'm fine Hinata. I'm just hungry." "Tch, Dobe, you're always hungry," Sasuke commented, wiping his face with a clean towel.

Hinata giggled at their bickering as the others filed out from the changing rooms. Ino sat down next to Hinata, TenTen and Temari. Sighing, Ino reminded, "Ah, we have to back to school on Monday."

TenTen drooped her shoulders before she remarked, "Don't remind us, Ino. I have a project to do for my psychology class. My professor wants me to find some evidence as to why teenagers are so influenced by weaponry these days."

Ino smirked and stated, "It seems like you, TenTen." TenTen scoffed and lay down, covering her eyes with an arm. Kiba looked up at Ino and said, "Yeah, Ino, don't remind us that we have to go back to being responsible college students. Today's Friday. We still have Saturday and Sunday to relax."

The Akatsuki were talking with Anko and Kakashi.

"Oi, Kakashi, where's the pizza you ordered?" Hidan demanded, hungry from all of the dancing. Kakashi held his hands up as the hungry and irritated groups encircled him. Thankfully, the Seductive weren't there or else they would've clawed him down with their manicured finger nails. Well, that's if they could catch him anyways.

"Ne, why don't you young adults calm down? I'm sure that the delivery person is running just a tad late," Kakashi reasoned, waving his hands in front of him. Standing up from a stool, Itachi agreed, "Kakashi-san has a point. Do not take your hunger out on him."

Deidara and Hidan glared at Itachi, opening their mouths to say something but Itachi just brushed past them. Of course, they wouldn't challenge him unless they were insane. He was still a bit intimidating. After all, he was an Uchiha. And the Uchiha were a very powerful family in Konoha, social and economic wise.

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Running down the street at full speed, Sakura placed a hand on her black cap as she frantically searched for the building. She was on an errand for Hana, the owner of a local pizza shop in Konoha. A customer had requested for some pizza but Hana was low on some employees, so she couldn't afford to have her employees leave the shop and deliver the orders.

Fortunately, Sakura had finished class around the same time and decided to pay Hana a visit who then asked her to deliver the pizza to the customer. Sakura had agreed in a heartbeat; after all, Hana was a friend of hers even though she was older than Sakura.

Stopping in front of the building, Sakura exhaled, opened the door and entered. She almost crashed into the man in front of her but thankfully, she was paying attention and dodged the person. Spinning on her toes like a professional, Sakura clutched the box of pizzas to her chest as she twirled past the person.

Thank Kami-sama for all those years of ballet training, Sakura thought to herself. She turned to the man and bowed before apologizing, "I'm so sorry. I should've watched whe-" Itachi cut her off and assured, "It was my mistake. I wasn't paying attention."

Sakura stood up straight, taking in the man. He was gorgeous, handsome, attractive- anything good, you name it. He had it all.

Nodding, Sakura stiffly turned her head to look at the others. Kakashi's eyes lit up with relief as he rushed over to her and proclaimed, "Ah, there's the pizza. You are a life saver!"

Sakura laughed sheepishly before she denied, "I'm not a life savor. I was late by," she checked her watch and continued, "seven minutes." Kakashi shook his head and assured, "No, no, you were just on time."

Not wanting to be nosy or anything, Sakura pondered silently as to why he was wearing a mask over a part of his face. Kakashi took the box of pizzas from her before he smiled beneath his mask, eyes crinkling in thankfulness. Putting the money into her hand, Kakashi thanked her again and Sakura simply shook her head in modesty.

Touching her black cap just to make sure that it was still on securely, Sakura exited the building after telling the handsome man goodbye. Feeling the vibration from her phone, Sakura reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her cell phone.

Sliding a slim finger over the glossy screen, Sakura read Ino's text:

**I wish you came to see the dance off tonight, Forehead. Too bad though. You should've seen Seductive all over these two guys. It was weird and- forget them, they're not important. Anyways, let's meet up tomorrow at the mall? **

Sakura chuckled at the text and replied:

**Who is Seductive by the way? I have no idea what you're talking about, Pig. You didn't tell me that you had a dance off! I'm your best friend and yet you didn't even tell me? I am shocked, Pig. I probably couldn't have made it anyways, I had class tonight. Being a medical major is very time consuming. Anyways, when do you want to meet up? **

Sakura pressed the send button with her thumb, sliding the silver phone into her pocket as she hurried to Hana's pizza shop.

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A/N: Just like I did for my other stories, I typed this plot of and published it. I might continue it, hopefully I will. If you want me to continue, feel free to leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Ballerina**

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***Chapter 2: Meeting Them **

**NORMAL POV:**

**Bold- Text**

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"Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time."

- Miguel Angel Ruiz

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Hearing her phone suddenly beep from a new text, Sakura opened her sleepy jade eyes before blindly moving a hand onto the low table next to her. After a couple seconds of searching for the silver phone, Sakura pulled her cell phone in front of her face, peering at the text from Ino:

**Forehead, I just got your text. Yeah, yeah, I know. You're probably sleeping since it's one a.m. However, some of us have lives asides from school. Let's meet there at nine? **

Sakura groaned, sleepy before she managed to reply:

**Tch, Pig, what do you have to do so early in the morning? How about we move it to ten? Great! I'll see you then. Oh and don't bother texting back, Pig, because my phone will be off. I need to sleep. See you soon.**

Sakura shut her phone off before she snuggled back into her pillows, quickly falling back to sleep. She had just finished an extremely important test for one of her medical courses which she spent the last several weeks studying non-stop.

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Feeling refreshed, Sakura descended the stairs and walked past her mother's master bedroom that was on the first floor. Sakura stopped to glance at the familiar room before quickly hurrying into the kitchen. Surprised to see her mother, Sakura greeted warmly, "Good morning, Okaa-san."

Turning around to look at the long-pink haired daughter, Mebuki greeted back, "Ah, good morning to you too, Sakura. Did you sleep well?" Sakura nodded, taking a bite out of an apple as she sat down.

Her mother turned back around, cleaning the dishes as she hummed to herself. Sakura narrowed her eyes in confusion. Why was her mother home?

She was usually out of town or at her office working. Shrugging the thought away, Sakura smiled and mentally reminded herself that she should be happy. She didn't really get to see her mother most of the time now that she attended college. Well, it wasn't like she even saw her mother when she was in middle school or high school but still, the fact that her mother was standing in the same room made her content.

Sakura was a second year attending Konoha University, a competitive and famous university like Suna or Kumo University.

Glancing at the silver phone, Sakura tossed the apple core away before rushing back into her designated bathroom to brush her teeth again. She had to keep her mouth clean, especially the teeth. She _was_ a medical major and health had to be ingrained into her brain. What could she do?

"I'm going out with Ino, mom. I'll be back later," Sakura proclaimed, slipping on her dark converse. She decided to don a long-sleeved white shirt with ruffles at the hem of the shirt and faded blue jean-capris.

Opening the door, Sakura took a step and stopped when her mother reminded, "Ah, Sakura, I saw Kurenai this morning and she told me that you have rehearsal today."

Hiding behind the door, Sakura hunched her shoulders, suddenly remembering that she had ballet rehearsal. She had been doing ballet since she was four and it wasn't like she hated ballet. In fact, she loved ballet- dancing to be more exact. Heck, if she couldn't become a medic then she'd become a dancer for a living but she highly doubted that.

Standing up straight, Sakura peeked from behind the door and answered, "Ah, yeah, mom, I know. It's on my phone, booked for today. And don't worry, I won't miss the rehearsal." Sometimes, Sakura wondered silently if her mother realized that she wasn't a child anymore. She was nineteen, soon to be twenty the next year in March.

Mebuki nodded and Sakura shut the door, skipping down the cement driveway. Yes, she didn't own a car. At her age, Sakura found it inconvenient to buy a car. It was also because she lived close to the university. Everything was just walking distance and if it wasn't, she could always take the bus, the subway or the Amtrak.

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"So, Sakura, are there any yummy guys headed your way lately?" Ino inquired, taking a sip from her drink. She had her chin placed between her palms, smiling as she wiggled her brows suggestively. Sakura narrowed her jade eyes before sighing. How many times was Ino going to ask her this?

This was so déjà vu. She could remember the countless times where they were both sitting down with food in front of them as Ino first questioned her about any intriguing males wandering in her life. As usual, Sakura's reply would always be no. She was hopeless when it came to love; it was probably due to the fact that she often spent her free time reading books on medical-related topics rather than going out to parties and mingling with unfamiliar guys.

Oh and don't forget that her mom was a bit possessive. Any guy who dared to ask the only heir to the Konoha Hospital and the Haruno Medicine Company had to go through Haruno Mebuki first. Despite her rare appearances at home, Mebuki managed to find the time to engrave her existence into Sakura's life and this just happened to be one of the methods.

"After all the years that we've been together, Pig, you should know my answer well," Sakura stated, shaking her head as she picked at her food using a plastic fork. Her love life wasn't going to get any better and she was certain that no prince charming plus shining knight in glorious armor would dare to venture into the castle where her mother resided in, asking for a simple date.

Arching her perfect brows, Ino exclaimed, "Forehead, I know your answer more than just 'well'. I'd know it by a heartbeat, by a million light years, by a blink, by a-" Sakura interrupted, "Yes, Pig, there's no need to emphasize your almighty knowledge. We both know it, okay? New subject since we always seem to talk about my lack of romance."

Obedient, Ino pursed her lips as she thoughtfully pondered in silence. Remembering, Sakura asked, "Oh yeah, Pig, what was that dance off that you mentioned yesterday?" Finally, there was something worth conversing about, something that both Ino and her shared as an interest.

Ino's baby blue eyes shined with excitement as she thought about the event last night. Sakura took a bite from her food, waiting patiently. Ino glanced at Sakura, remembering that Sakura was there.

"So, yesterday, there was a dance off. You know the one that I usually attend?" Ino proclaimed. Sakura nodded quietly. She could recall a few times where Ino was boasting about this dance off thing. Seeing Sakura wave a hand for her to continue, Ino expressed, "It was so fun, Forehead. I wish you were there to see it! The others and I were dancing like crazy and I could just _feel_ the music within me."

Sakura chuckled and commented, "Well, you should feel the music, Pig." Ino snorted and muttered, "I know, Sakura. Anyways, I think it was a tie."

Sakura looked across at Ino and questioned, "How do you know? Like who wins and loses the dance off?" Ino smirked and asked, "Interested, Sakura?"

Sakura gave the blonde a dead look before she exclaimed, "Pig, just spill it already." Laughing happily, Ino explained, "So the audience, who are watching us intently, they decide who wins and who doesn't." Sakura nodded, comprehending the simple logic.

Curious, Sakura questioned, "And what type of dancing occurs there?" She stared at the blonde friend who was sipping from the transparent straw.

"Most of the time, it's just street dancing. Anything is allowed, even ballet," Ino clarified. Sakura nodded but returned to eat her food. Unable to help it, Sakura tried to imagine herself dancing at one of those dance battles but she just couldn't. For some reason, ballet just didn't seem to fit in.

Ballet was more strict and rigorous in its many rules. From what her previous teachers told her, ballet could only be applied to a certain genre of music. That was one of the reasons why Sakura didn't like ballet sometimes. It was too restricting despite how graceful and flexible it looked through the eyes of a spectator.

"Sakura, Sakura, oi Forehead," Ino hissed in a hushed tone, waving a hand at the distracted Sakura before she snapped her fingers loudly. Lifting her head to look at the irked Ino, Sakura asked, "What's the matter, Pig?"

Ino sighed and asked, "Did you not hear me?" Sakura smiled sheepishly as Ino repeated, "The results are out. We lost." Ino held her phone up in the air and Sakura quirked a delicate pink brow, stunned. Who was the winner then?

She then dared to ask, "Who's the winner then?" Ino softly bit her lips before responding, "Rookie Five managed to win this week. Damn them for having such hot bodies otherwise they probably wouldn't even have won."

Sakura was confused as to who Rookie Five was, but she remained quiet.

Sakura leaned back in her chair before she stated, "Your team was the Kunoichi, right? Aren't Hinata, TenTen and Temari on your team?" They had gone to the same middle school except for Temari. She went to Suna middle school whereas the rest attended Konoha middle school. Sakura met Temari during a volleyball game in middle school.

Ino nodded and replied, "Yes, Sakura. And guess what? Temari can't keep on commuting back and forth from Suna to Konoha because it's too consuming financially so she's leaving the team after the next dance off. " Temari was a third year student at Suna University. She had to drive to Konoha from Suna every Friday or spend money for public transportation, either way she was losing money.

"I should see her before she leaves," Sakura pondered out loud and Ino clapped her hands before saying, "Oh you should come see us this week since it's going to be Temari's last dance battle with us as a team." Ino smiled, silently pleading for Sakura to come and watch.

Sakura pursed her lips, debating. It was on a Friday evening and she didn't have class that night. Everything blended well. Shrugging, she replied, "Sure, why not? Make sure to text me the address and time though, Ino."

Ino squealed in delight before they threw away their trash and headed out of the food court, inching towards the mall's exit. Ino was a bit depressed that her team didn't win. Reading the mood, Sakura smiled and soothed, "Don't worry, Pig. I'm sure you'll do better next time. Hey, just think about it. I'll be there to cheer you on!"

Ino stared at Sakura before she responded, "Yeah, you're right Forehead! A professional ballerina like you doesn't magically appear at dance battles quite often. I should be looking forwards, not sulking about the past like a baby." Sakura nodded, glad to be of such great influence.

* * *

Walking on the sidewalk, Ino stopped and stared at the nearing group of males. Sakura ceased walking, glanced back at Ino before she looked back at the group of males. Who were they? Obviously, Ino knew them. Did they get along or were they enemies?

Ino appeared at Sakura's side, narrowing her blue eyes. The group of a year or two older males stopped, recognizing Ino. Although, who was this pink-haired chick?

Smirking at the sight, Hidan approached Ino and asked, "Nice to see you, Ino. I'm guessing that you heard the news?" Ino nodded and Hidan smiled sadly before he set his gaze onto the quiet but calm Sakura.

Deidara and the others appeared next to Hidan before he inquired, "And who's this lovely young lady, eh?" Sakura flashed him a look, telling him that she wasn't interested. Hidan held two hands up. She was a feisty one, wasn't she?

Wrapping her slim arm around Sakura's shoulder, Ino introduced, "Hidan, this is _my_ best friend, Sakura. Sakura, this is the Akatsuki." Sakura greeted them in her melodious voice.

Deidara waved at her as he introduced, "I'm Deidara, yeah. This is Sasori, Kisame and Hidan, yeah." Kisame shook his head and remarked, "Oi, Blondie, I think we're highly capable of introducing ourselves."

Sasori nodded and stated, "We are not puppets, Deidara." Hidan agreed, "Yeah, Deidara-chan, Jashin gave us heads with brains and mouths with tongues." He winked at Sakura and Sakura restricted herself from smacking him with a punch.

Noticing that there was a missing member, Ino asked, "Where's Itachi?" Sakura glanced at the group and mused silently to herself that there was a missing member. This was the first time she had even seen them.

"Ah, Itachi, he should be here in a few minutes," Kisame muttered, glancing at his dark-blue phone. A dark luxury car drove past them and parked close to where they were standing. Sasuke got out from the driver side where as Itachi appeared from the opposite side. Naruto popped out from the passenger side, stretching.

"Ah, there they are. The two Uchiha brothers and Naruto," Kisame labeled. With his hands tucked into his dark jeans while donning a white shirt, Sasuke stood staring at Sakura along with Naruto who was wearing jeans and an orange hoodie.

"Sakura-chan, is that you?" Naruto questioned, surprised to see her. He hadn't seen her since middle school. After middle school, Sakura attended an all-girls private high school while her friends attended Konoha High.

Tilting her head, Sakura replied, "Wow, Naruto, it really is you." She walked towards them, all three meeting each other at the midpoint section. Sakura turned to look at Sasuke before she praised, "Well, you're still looking like the usual, Sasuke."

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes. Did that mean that he didn't change? Couldn't she see how toned and sexy he looked? Well, probably not, since they were _friends_ so she probably didn't see him like a fan girl.

Sakura glanced at the man standing behind Sasuke, curious as to whom he was. He looked like Sasuke but a bit more charming and mature. Sakura smacked herself in the face mentally. Not only was she assessing him like a predator, he was the man from the other night when she was delivering the pizzas.

Noticing her curious stare, Sasuke turned to look at Itachi and introduced, "Ah, Sakura, this is my older brother, Itachi. Itachi, this is Sakura, a childhood friend." Itachi extended his hand and Sakura grasped his in a professional and mature fashion.

Removing her hand, Sakura turned to look at Sasuke before she exclaimed, "You never told me you had a brother, Sasuke." Sasuke shrugged and replied, "You didn't bother to ask, Sakura."

"Tch, Teme was such a jerk back then, wasn't he?" Naruto remarked with his hands linked behind his neck. Sakura laughed in a melodious tone before lightly agreeing, "Yeah, he was a stuck-up jerk, Naruto."

Sasuke twitched. He had just met his childhood friend for a few seconds and now she was talking bad about him with Naruto who was also a child hood friend? Sasuke couldn't believe it.

Hidan smirked, approving Sakura and her behavior. He liked her spiciness and her long, toned legs. Deidara smacked Hidan with the back of his book. Sasori shook his head and Ino pulled Hidan by his ear, threatening him with hushed words.

Sasuke shot a dark glare at Hidan. Sakura was an innocent and nice girl. She was his childhood friend so if someone wanted to get a piece of her, they'd have to pass through him first.

Itachi watched amused as Naruto and Sakura teamed up against Sasuke, spouting playful comments as they teased the younger Uchiha about the old days. Why hadn't he ever heard of Sasuke's friend though? Did Sasuke not want to tell him about her?

"Oh yeah, Sakura," Sasuke started in a dark tone. Naruto and Sakura shut their mouths, curious to hear what Sasuke had to say. "You're still doing ballet, right?" Sasuke questioned.

Sakura arched her brows, surprised. Of all the things he could ask, he asked her this? She thought that he would've threatened her with something more serious-threatening.

"Yeah, I'm still doing ballet, Sasuke," Sakura answered, proud. She could feel the curious stares now that they knew she danced. Sasuke smirked and inquired, "And just _when_ do you have ballet practice?"

Sakura's emerald eyes widened as she stammered, "Y-you still remember when I have rehearsal?" Sasuke tapped his head with a finger as he coolly responded, "Naruto and I would come and watch you rehearse, Sakura. Don't you remember?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly as she lied, "Yeah, I remember, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked smugly. He knew she was lying after all he was one of her childhood friends and he could tell when she was pulling a lie. "Don't you have rehearsal today, Sakura?" Sasuke inquired, knowingly. She was a forgetful person, wasn't she?

"Oh my gosh," Sakura stated, everyone looked at her, and she added, "Sasuke, you're a life saver. Well it was nice seeing you all!" With that said, she quickly bounced down the sidewalk with her messenger bag strapped around a shoulder.

Sakura glanced at her phone, sliding it unlocked. It was ten minutes passed noon. She was late by ten minutes. What was it with them and her being tardy?

* * *

They all watched, amused, as the pink-haired girl with the waist-length hair sped away and soon faded. Naruto and Sasuke shifted their heads, staring at each other as they discussed silently.

"Oi, do you guys have anything planned for today?" Naruto asked, mischievous. Ino shook her head as the Akatsuki shrugged, shook their head or simply replied, "No."

Sasuke smirked and suggested, "Should we pay a visit to Sakura then?" Ino's blue eyes flashed with utter agreement as she answered, "Sasuke, you're a genius. We should totally surprise her."

Itachi glanced at the spot where Sakura once was, mystified and intrigued all together. She seemed familiar to him yet he couldn't remember where or when he had met her. Now that he knew that she danced, he was interested to find out some more about her. She was a ballerina, one with pink hair too.

What a coincidence? All she needed was a pink tutu.

* * *

A/N: So, I've decided to officially continue this fanfiction. I will update as much as I can. Thanks for all of the reviews. It really knocked some sense into me! Please Review.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Ballerina **

***Chapter 3: Surprise, Surprise!**

* * *

**NORMAL POV:**

**Bold- Text Message**

* * *

"If music be the food of love, play on."

-William Shakespeare

* * *

Arriving at the familiar building, Sasuke muttered, "Sakura should be inside of this place." Naruto beamed as he imagined a surprised Sakura. Hidan smirked, wanting to see the attractive ballerina and Kisame simply commented, "What's so great about seeing a ballerina dance?"

Ballet was nothing compared to their dancing or so that's what he thought.

Walking down the empty hallway, Sasuke led the way and informed, "Sakura's rehearsals usually took place in the room at the end of this hallway." Ino was surprised at how much Sasuke still remembered Sakura's ballet practice. Well, he wasn't the high school valedictorian for nothing. Ino thought that if Shikamaru wasn't so damn lazy he might have been rank one, but he was still the lazy guy so that didn't change anything.

As they neared the dark-painted door, Ino imagined Sakura in a pink tutu and said, "Oh my gosh, what if Sakura's dressed all in pink!" Deidara laughed and Sasori exclaimed, "Ballerina's don't always wear pink and tutus, idiots."

Naruto and Sasuke whirled around to shush the others as they opened the door and Naruto demanded in a hushed tone, "Shut up, guys. We need to be quiet if we're going to surprise Sakura-chan." Ino smacked her lips together before she put a finger on her lips and nodded obediently.

Filing into the spacious room, Sasuke shut the door gently as their jaws dropped onto the floor. Sakura was dressed in a thin grey shirt and a dark skirt with dark tights underneath. Her pink hair was tied into a bun. She wasn't wearing any pink or a tutu. She looked classy yet sexy, especially when she stretched her arms and the shirt shifted upwards as it revealed a bit of her flat stomach.

"Wow," Ino breathed out as they watched. Sakura was flexibly changing into the five positions as Kurenai instructed her. Her toned arms were in front of her as she proceeded to hold them out and move her feet apart. She then crossed one foot over the other and curved her left arm back in front of her chest with the other arm still held next to her side horizontally.

Kurenai waved for Sakura to change position as she held four fingers up. Sakura morphed into the fourth position and stretched her left arm up above her head, still holding the other arm out to her side. She then twirled with both arms hovering over her head, a perfect pirouette.

She was spinning in a full circle on the tip of her toes.

Kurenai spotted the group and smiled as they were staring at Sakura's fluid movements, mesmerized. There was a classical song playing softly in the background as Sakura spun on her toes, keeping balance. Her black and silky-looking slippers graced across the floor smoothly as she pranced around, ending as she leapt in the air with her back slightly arched and her legs bent at an acute degree before she landed gracefully onto the floor.

"Good pirouette, Sakura," Kurenai praised, clicking off the music. Sakura ceased moving as she pulled her hair tie from her hair, letting her long locks cascade down. She ran a hand through her pink hair, preparing to re-tie her hair again.

Naruto and Ino tip-toed to Sakura who had her eyes shut as she was tying her hair back into a bun. Sakura let out a shocked yelp as she felt two hands grip her arms from behind and whirled around to stare at two laughing blondes. Sakura opened her mouth to say dryly, "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, you two; I can't believe that you guys actually came."

Sakura bent down to pick up her black hair-tie and looked at Sasuke who said, "We haven't seen you practice since middle school, Sakura." Naruto nodded and added, "So we decided to bring the others, well, this isn't even all of us." Sakura smiled and tied her long hair into a pony tail.

Hidan was staring at Sakura, sizing her up and down. If there could be human sacrifices, she would make one hell of a sacrifice. Jashin would be proud. Just look at those toned legs and arms-oh and don't forget her slim waist. She would make the perfect dance partner.

Sasori sighed and smacked Hidan's head before Ino could hit him first. Deidara looked around and inquired, "So, is it just you who dances here, yeah?"

Sakura looked at Deidara and said, "Actually, there's another girl but she has a different instructor. She trains in a private room." Ino nodded and wondered why they trained in separate rooms though.

An older lady strutted into the room with a younger girl trailing after her. The girl was wearing a white practice outfit similar to Sakura's. She nervously glanced at Sakura who waved before smiling. Ino and the others watched as the older lady approached Kurenai and said, "Yuhi, bring Sakura into my office. I want to speak to her about the performance."

Biting the bottom of her lips, Sakura pushed back a scowl. Every year there was a ballet performance and they would decide the ballerina who got to play the main role. The ballet mistress would choose which ballerina got to be the lucky one and it just happened that Sakura was chosen to be the head role for the last three years in a row.

Sakura sighed softly before she entered the ballet mistress's office and shut the door behind her. Kurenai was standing next to Sakura and questioned, "Koharu-sama, you requested for Sakura?" The old woman peered at Sakura and stated, "Sakura, you will be the head role for this year."

Sakura locked her hands behind her back as she noticed that Matsuri's shoulders drooped a bit. Hardening her jade eyes, she refused, "Koharu-sama, I do not wish to participate this year. I believe that Matsuri should get the head role after all she has been practicing since she was three."

Matsuri was a senior in high school but still, she was an excellent ballerina. She was currently being trained under Koharu who was a legend in the ballet community.

Shaking her head, Koharu stated, "Sakura, you have more experience. Matsuri-chan still has a long way to go. Her moves are still stiff and she has not perfected the pirouette."

Sakura reasoned, "I only have more experience because I was forced to be the head for three years, Koharu-sama. As an upper ballerina, I believe that Matsuri should receive the same opportunities as I did. She has the same potential like I do; I suggest that you ask for her opinion."

Sakura was trying to save Matsuri and herself all in one time. Matsuri always wanted to be the head of the ballet performance and Sakura just wanted out, out of having to be the head. She was always getting special treatment and now, she was just about to snap.

"Sakura, you will be the head for this year," Koharu exclaimed in a harsh voice. Sakura quirked her brows and responded bluntly, "Koharu-sama, I quit."

Koharu's brown eyes widened at Sakura's sudden proclamation and she stood up demanding, "You cannot quit being a ballerina!" Sakura shook her head and phrased, "I simply said that I am quitting the rehearsals. I'm not going to throw away my life as a ballerina obviously."

"You cannot walk out so easily, Sakura," Koharu stated, sounding a bit desperate. Sakura put a hand on the silver handle of the door as she exclaimed, "I believe I can. After all, I am just paying for the rehearsals monthly and it just happens to be the end of this month. You won't be seeing me anymore, Koharu-sama, so I suggest you start finding another puppet to play with if you want to continue this method of yours."

Sakura was tired and annoyed with Koharu's unfair treatment. If she wasn't going to be treated like the other ballerinas, then she would simply quit. Besides, she was planning on leaving Koharu's ballet rehearsals anyways; she was wasting six hundred dollars every month.

Sakura opened the door only to find Sasuke and the others standing exactly where they were before but they had heard everything. The argument had escalated louder and louder as the seconds ticked by. Ino's baby blue eyes were large. Sakura was actually quitting.

Sakura took a step outside of Koharu's office. Koharu was standing behind her desk as she ordered, "Sakura, if you leave now, you won't be able to come back."

Stopping, Sakura looked back at Koharu coolly before she answered confidently, "Yes, Koharu-sama, I know that and I'm sure that we all knew that this day would come. We just never knew when but now we know."

Sakura turned to look at Kurenai as she wished, "Have a good day, Kurenai-sensei." Kurenai smiled sadly but nodded quietly. She knew that Sakura was fed up and irritated with the favoritism. After being Sakura's mentor for all of these years, she knew Sakura pretty well.

She knew that Sakura loved dancing, not only ballet. She knew that Sakura wanted to explore beyond the walls of ballet. Sakura wanted to be free from the shackles of her tedious ballet training.

Sakura smiled at Matsuri who was now standing in front of the open door, staring at Sakura with teary eyes. She wore an expression of shame and Sakura walked over, patted her and praised, "Matsuri, you're a good ballerina. Heh, you could even surpass me. Go for it and don't feel so ashamed. If you ever need me, you still have my number."

Matsuri walked towards Sakura, hugging her as she mumbled, "Sakura-nee-san, thank you for everything. I won't give up." Sakura smiled, smoothing the brunette's soft hair as she stared at the sitting Koharu and said, "Train her well, Koharu-sama."

Koharu was sitting against her black leather chair and huffed. She had just lost a future legendary ballerina. And that ex-student was happy to be leaving? Why was she so glad to be gone? What did she do wrong with Sakura?

* * *

Sakura turned around to look at Ino who approached her and wrapped her arms around Sakura's shoulder while saying, "You did a good thing, Forehead."

Sakura smiled at Ino's praise and said, "Come on, guys, let's get going." Ino squealed, grabbing Sakura's hand as she ranted, "Okay, so now that you're free from ballet lessons, we can talk some more about my dance offs."

After slipping on her jacket and shoes, Sakura exited the rehearsal room and walked down the dark hallway with her bag of clothes strapped over a shoulder. Who said anything about dance offs?

"Uh, Ino, I'm just going to come _watch_ your dance off," Sakura stated, narrowing her emerald eyes in suspicion Ino waved a hand and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know, Sakura. But there's a reason _why_ I want you there."

Sakura nodded hesitantly as Ino glued herself onto Sakura's side.

Sasuke and Naruto were trailing after Sakura and Ino. They were all shocked that Sakura had quit ballet-well the ballet lessons to be more exact. Where would she practice now?

Sasuke stared at the walking Sakura. She had thrown away her favorite hobby just to help the brunette. During the past years that Naruto and he had come to watch Sakura rehearse, he was influenced by Sakura's determination for ballet and wanted to find his own special hobby. In other words, she was the reason why he became so interested in dancing. But now, his interest was the fuel for his passion; Sakura just nudged him in the direction.

Turning around, Sakura looked at Sasuke and Naruto before she exclaimed incredulous, "Sasuke, Naruto, you two are in Rookie Five?" She sure missed out on a lot. They never liked to dance and now they did?

Smirking, Sasuke confirmed, "Yeah, Sakura, we are." Naruto smiled and said, "You're not the only one who dances now, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's green eyes glittered with excitement as she expressed, "See? What did I tell you two! And you guys thought that dancing was stupid." Naruto and Sasuke stiffened as Ino reasoned scathingly, "Ah, come on, Sakura. They were only immature and dumb boys who didn't know a single thing about dancing." Naruto and Sasuke glared at the blonde female who smirked in smugness.

"Tch, whatever," Sasuke grunted, walking off with Naruto as Sakura and Ino stepped aside. Hidan and the others walked past Sakura and Ino. "So, I heard you're going to come watch the dance off this Friday?" Hidan questioned. Sakura nodded and said, "Yep, and you're going to get your butt kicked by Ino."

Deidara smirked and Kisame stated, "Ah, the Kunoichi? We'll beat your team, Ino. Just watch."

Ino crossed her arms over her chest as she challenged, "Oh yeah? Who says that we can't win, Kisame?" Kisame flashed his white teeth as he replied, "This weeks theme is classic."

Confused, Ino repeated, "Classic?" Sasori nodded and explained, "Anko wants to draw some more people in so she decided to make this week's theme partner dancing."

"What? Why?" Ino asked. Sasori sighed. Didn't she just hear him?

"And it has to be co-ed, so you're going to have to find a guy to dance with, yeah," Deidara stated, smirking. Kisame rubbed his blue hands together as he commented, "This is going to be interesting, right, Itachi?"

Sakura noticed Itachi and saw him shrug before he stated, "Anko wants to see us." He held up his dark phone and his group members all pulled out their phones, peering at the text message.

Sakura looked at Ino's phone as Ino silently read the text:

**Oi, kids, get your butts down here! I'm going to tell you the task for this week's dance off. See you soon or else…yeah, you know what will happen. I'll have Kakashi hunt you down-that's what!**

Ino looked up at Sakura and said, "Ah, well, we got to get moving then. No one wants Kakashi hunting them down." She smiled at Sakura, punching her arm lightly before saying, "I'll text you the time and address tonight, Forehead. You have to be there this Friday."

* * *

Sakura was standing in front of the ballet building, watching as Sasuke and the others drove away. Feeling her phone vibrate, Sakura pulled out her silver phone and slid the screen unlocked. She glanced at the caller ID and said, "Hi, mom."

Driving, Mebuki stated, "Sakura, where are you?"

"I'm in front of the ballet building. Why?" Sakura questioned, glancing around with the phone pressed to her ear. Was her mom coming to pick her up?

"Oh, okay. Stay there; I'm coming to pick you up," Mebuki informed, hanging up abruptly. Sakura glanced down at her phone as she mumbled, "What was that about?"

Looking at her mom's black car, Sakura hurried into the car and greeted, "Hey mom." This was weird. Her mom was picking her up. Something was going on.

On the drive back home, Mebuki exclaimed, "So, I got a call from Utatane a few minutes ago." She turned to look at Sakura as they stopped at a red light. Sakura quirked her brows as she wondered silently who Utatane was.

"Koharu-san?" Mebuki rephrased and Sakura replied, "Oh, yeah, about that. Mom, I quitted the ballet lessons." Sakura peeked at her mom who was now silent and shaking. Was that a bad sign? Maybe she shouldn't have straight out said it?

Slamming a hand energetically onto the middle of the steering wheel, Mebuki let out a happy sound and said, "Thank Kami-sama, Sakura! I never really liked that old woman. It's good that you quitted."

Bemused, Sakura questioned, "Mom, you're not upset that I quit?" She expected her mom to be angry and fuming. Mebuki honked the car, pleased at the news.

Mebuki snorted and added, "Sakura, honey, I know how much you love ballet but when I took ballet, it was hell. I hated and despised ballet. The only reason why I took it for four years during high school was because my mom wanted me to." Ballet was a tradition in the Haruno family and four years of ballet was required.

Sakura was content with her mother's reaction and inquired, "So is this why you called me?"

Mebuki looked back ahead and explained, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about these pictures that were brought to me." Sakura arched her brows in confusion.

"Grab my bag and pull out the white envelope, Sakura," Mebuki ordered firmly, keeping her eyes on the road. Sakura obeyed and pulled out the envelope.

"Open it," Mebuki stated, turning a corner. Sakura opened the envelope and stared at the pictures of her and a classmate. Baffled and outraged, she exclaimed, "What's this, mom?"

Mebuki waited for the dark gates to automatically open as she agreed, "That's what I would like to know, Sakura. Is there something that you'd like to tell me?"

Sakura glanced back down at the picture of her sitting in the library with a classmate sitting closely next to her. Was there something wrong with this picture?

"Mom, he's just a classmate," Sakura stated and added, "There's nothing going on between Gaara and me." Mebuki nodded, urging for Sakura to explain as she drove the car up the cement drive way.

"We were talking about ballet, mom. He has a close friend who's also a ballerina and he wanted to know what type of fabric would go best for the outfit that he's making," Sakura informed. This was completely outrageous. Why would someone take a picture of her and Gaara just to show it to her mother?

"So this Gaara boy, is he a fashion design major?" Mebuki inquired, shutting off the car as she turned to look Sakura in the eye. Sakura nodded firmly and confirmed, "He's a fashion design major, mom. There's no need to worry. I'm not dating any one."

Mebuki smiled and said, "I know, honey, but I just had to ask about this picture."

They got out of the car. Sakura looked at the picture one more time before Mebuki grabbed the picture and shredded it into pieces as she then proceeded to light it on fire. That was a bit extreme, wasn't it? Sakura watched her mother's actions, puzzled.

Mebuki looked at Sakura and clarified, "Paparazzi could use this against you and cause a scandal." Sakura nodded and followed her mom into the two story house. As she ascended the stairs, Sakura turned around to look at her mother who proclaimed, "Oh and Sakura, tonight there's a ball for the big business companies of Konoha so you're going to have to go with me."

"Who's going?" Sakura asked. It was a Saturday. So it did make sense for there to be an elegant gathering. Sakura wasn't much for those events but she was obliged to attend.

Mebuki pursed her lips and answered, "I know that the Uchiha, Yamanaka, Nara, Uzumaki and Hyuga are going to be there but I'm sure there will be some others. Konoha's a very bustling city, honey; it's full of so many top-ranking companies that there are some that I've never even heard about."

Sakura nodded and said, "I'm going to sleep."

* * *

Anko was standing with one foot placed on top of a crate as she exclaimed, "Alright, kids, as you have probably heard, I'm going to switch the theme this week. You are each going to have a dance partner, opposite of your gender, duh. Also, you will have to prepare a dance with the music. Bring me your soundtrack that you will dance to by Thursday so that I can check to see if it works with the sound system."

They all glanced at each other, wondering who was with whom. Karin set her lusty sight on Sasuke, imagining his hands traveling all over her body. If she couldn't get Sasuke, then she'd have to settle for Itachi. Either way, as long as she was paired with an Uchiha then she'd be fine.

Arisa noticed Karin's stare and mused to herself how greedy Karin was. She wanted Itachi just as bad as Kana wanted him too. Ami snorted quietly, all she wanted was Sasuke but she knew that Karin was after him too. Oh, how could love be so cruel?

TenTen shook her head at Seduction's traveling stares, disgusted in silence. Ino looked around for Temari and Hinata whispered, "Ino, Temari's not here." Ino nodded and was about to say something when her phone beeped. She pulled out her phone and read the text from Temari:

**Ino, I can't make it this week. I twisted my ankle during Taekwondo practice today. I'll have to take my leave early. Sorry :(**** I hope that you can find a new member quickly but just make sure to not get someone bratty like Seduction. I would kill you if you implanted someone like them into Kunoichi. Ha, just kidding, I love you like a sister. Still, heed my words. Ja ne!**

Ino pouted and said, "Temari twisted her ankle so she can't come anymore." Anko looked at the depressed blonde and muttered, "Man, I liked her too."

"Now what do we do?" Naruto asked, looking at the groups. There were fewer females than males. That meant that some of them wouldn't be able to participate this coming Friday.

Anko looked around the room, feeling sulky since they were short as she stated, "Three of you males are going to have to step out for this week's battle." The males looked at each other silently. Kisame stood up the same time Itachi did along with Sasori. Anko arched her brows in surprise. The Akatsuki were willing to give up three members?

Deidara and Hidan turned around to look at the three standing members. Itachi stated, "We might as well as get this over with." It was only for this week; he'd be back the week after this week. Deidara nodded and stated, "Tch, we'll win this round, yeah."

Sasuke smirked and muttered, "That's what you dream about, Deidara." Deidara glared at him and Kisame chuckled while threatening, "You fools better win or else our stepping out would have been useless." Itachi smirked as the two members nodded stiffly and Sasori hoped that the two of them could pull it off. Of course, they had to be able to work with their female partner though or else that would be a great fail.

Anko faked a cough and continued, "Okay. Now that we have three members out, I'll tell you your partners." She paused to assess their reactions. They revealed no hint of emotion; definitely, they were ninjas.

"Right, so, Naruto's with Hinata. Neji, you're with Kana. Kiba, you're with Arisa," Anko stopped to look at the others. Sasuke and Shikamaru were the only ones left from Rookie Five. Sasuke glanced at the remaining girls and silently prayed for anyone but Ami or Karin. Would Kami-sama just play favor on his side today?

Karin chanted Sasuke's name in her head and Ami bit her lips in nervousness as she also prayed for Sasuke to be paired with her. Arisa and Kana were sulking over their partners, but they both figured that Kiba and Neji were pretty good looking themselves.

"Sasuke, you're with," Anko stated and paused to look at him before she continued, "You're with Karin and Shikamaru, you're with Ami." Shikamaru looked at Ami and one word that popped into his intelligent mind was troublesome. Ami was fuming ferociously inside. How did the redhead get Sasuke?!

Anko looked at the remaining members of Kunoichi and the Akatsuki. Deidara and Hidan looked at TenTen and Ino who were both staring at the last two males available. Opening her mouth, Anko said, "Deidara, you're with TenTen and Hidan, you're with Ino."

Ino's hand twitched; she wanted to strangle someone. Of all people, why did she have to be paired up with Hidan? TenTen simply shrugged, she was cool with Deidara.

Hidan felt a vein pop somewhere in his body. Why did he have to be paired with the blonde? She was annoying and abusive. She always hit him. Deidara snickered at Hidan who punched him without bothering to look at the laughing blonde.

Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled. It seemed like Kami-sama was on their side today. Itachi, Sasori and Kisame felt relieved that they had voluntarily decided to step out for this week. Who knows what they could've been paired up with?

There was the nice and caring Hinata, the abusive Ino, and the weapon-lover TenTen. Then, there was the lust-filled, seductive girls Karin, Ami, Arisa and Kana.

Itachi glanced at the stoic Sasuke who was probably wishing to die already. What was Sasuke going to do now? Certainly, he wasn't going to make a fool of himself by dropping out of the battle. Watching Sasuke, Itachi saw a smirk grace upon his lips.

Standing up, Sasuke stated, "Karin, hurry up, we need start our choreography." Smiling slyly, Karin jumped onto her feet and cooed, "Of course, Sasuke, whatever you want." Sasuke walked out of the room, leaving Karin to chase after him. Naruto shook his head. Poor Sasuke, he was going to have a hard time trying to keep her hands away from him.

Ino walked towards Hidan, narrowing her blue eyes as she mumbled, "Well, shall we get started?" Getting up, Hidan smirked and commented, "Look, we're both trying to win, so I say we call a truce and work together otherwise, neither of us will win."

Nodding, Ino agreed, "Finally, you say something sane. It's a truce then." Hidan smiled and suggested, "Shall we go?" Ino sighed and reminded herself that she was going to have to be nice if he was being nice.

Deidara and TenTen watched as their teammates left, actually cooperating. Deidara turned to look at TenTen and said, "Well, I guess that settles it then, yeah?" TenTen smiled and replied, "Yep, let's rock this Friday." They were going to practice hard and hopefully win.

Anko watched as most of them left and she turned to look at the remaining three Akatsuki males, smirking mischievously. Sasori, Kisame and Itachi took a step towards the open exit and Anko kicked the door shut as she commanded, "Now, you three will help me clean up the place for this Friday. Oh and I'll need your lovely help with handing out fliers to random people."

Sasori and Kisame sighed. They should've figured that something like this would come from Anko. Anko turned to look at Itachi and stated, "Oi, Uchiha, make sure that you guys spread the news well or else, you'll be damned."

Itachi nodded curtly, grabbing the large pile of fliers as he led them out. Who he really wanted to see on Friday was a certain pink-haired girl.

* * *

A/N: Utatane Koharu is a real character from Naruto. She's the female elder from the Konoha Council. And Matsuri, well, she's that girl from Suna who likes Gaara. Review :)


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